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It seems beyond reasonable doubt that the importance and effecbveness of parents as social agents steins m large part from their posibon as the major source of reinforcement and sancbons m the early life of tbe child It is equally true, however, tbat by now such a gencrahzabon is httie more than a homily It provides httle gmdance toward the discovery of sigmficant formulations about bow parents achieve or exert their influence For the most part, it remains just a generalizabon based upon cultural expenence with the latter's customary vagueness and ambigmty Understanding how parents acquire and use then: influence must come from studymg them m acbon This is a fundamental insight that the student of leammg bas brougbt to developmental psychology Tbe developmental hterature of tbe past decade bas rehed heavily upon tbat version of leammg which has come to be known as reinforcement theory. This kmd of tbeory bas undergone considerable bberahzation smce the days when it was identified mamly as a focus of conflict between dnve-reducbon and cogmtive psycbologists Nevertbeless, despite its liberabzabon, it still has the attributes of a theory derived mainly from the study of animals m laboratory settmgs Because of that, at the present time, it provides httie more guidance than do common-sense views about influences on behavior Its concepts are 1 The writers gratefully acknowledge the labors of a number of people who funcboned in the dual role of data collector and cnhcal discussant R Kmg,